Winners of rights award named
Winners of rights award named
JAKARTA (JP): The independent Commission for Missing Persons
and Victims of Violence (Kontras) and Farida Hariyani, an
Acehnese woman who has been helping relatives of victims of
military atrocities in Aceh, have been named winners of the
prestigious Yap Thiam Hien human rights award.
Kontras, led by human rights lawyer Munir, 32, from the
Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, and Farida, 33, will receive the
award on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, members of the
Center for Human Rights Studies (Yapusham) announced on Friday.
The center's executive director, rights activist and noted
lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, said the panel of judges had picked
the two from among four well-deserving nominees.
Todung, however, declined to name the other two nominees.
"The selection panel made a unanimous decision that Kontras
and Farida have been instrumental in human rights protection and
promotion," Todung told a media conference in Kuningan, South
Jakarta.
Todung said that members of the selection panel were
sociologist Mely G. Tan, lawyer Harjono Tjitrosoebono, law
professor Mardjono Reksodiputro, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) ulema Said
Agil Siradj and Catholic priest Y.B. Mangunwijaya.
The award, named after a late prominent Indonesian human
rights activist and lawyer, was first made in 1992. Previous
recipients include rights activists Sandyawan Sumardi, H.J.C.
Princen and Ade Rostina Sitompul, labor activist Marsinah, lawyer
Trimoelja D. Soerjadi and the farmers of Jenggawah village in
Jember regency.
Todung said that Kontras and Farida have been unfailing in
advocating the cause of the oppressed at risk to their own lives.
"They have been persistent in promoting human rights and
fighting state-sanctioned violence," Todung said.
Farida is a graduate from the Iskandarmuda University's school
of agriculture in Banda Aceh and she has helped the widows and
children of the victims of military operations in Aceh since
1989.
Aceh Governor Sjamsuddin Mahmud said Thursday that the
operations against separatist guerrillas in the westernmost
province left 1,021 people dead, a figure higher than earlier
published estimates. Latest military data revealed 760 deaths.
Accused of widespread atrocities in Aceh, the military
apologized and withdrew some troops in a conciliatory gesture
after the resignation in May of former President Soeharto.
Kontras was set up in April this year following reports of
violence and the disappearance of activists in Jakarta. Kontras
was among the first who suggested that elements within the Armed
Forces (ABRI) were involved in the abductions of 24 activists.
The accusation was at first denied by the military, but
testimonies from a number of activists who have reappeared and
mounting public pressure on ABRI eventually led to an
announcement in July that members of the elite Army's Special
Force (Kopassus) were involved in the abductions.
Former Kopassus chief Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto was then
discharged from the military in August and two other Kopassus
senior officers were released from active duty for their alleged
involvement in the abductions. (byg)